It has been a long standing problem with sailboat owners having sailboats with keel stepped masts to seal the mast to stop water from leaking through the area where the mast and the sailboat deck meet and filling the void in this area with structural support, both of which must be removable. This leaking around the mast is both an annoying and a damaging problem, while the structural support is vital to the basics of sailing and safety.
Sailboats normally use either a deck stepped mast or a keel stepped mast. Smaller sailboats are normally equipped with a deck stepped mast which does not extend through the deck of the sailboat. Since the mast does not extend through the deck there is no hole in the deck and thus no problems associated with water leakage and structural support between the mast and the deck.
Large sailboats are normally equipped with a keel stepped mast. In a keel stepped mast, the mast is secured to the keel of the sailboat and it extends through a hole in the deck of the sailboat. A collar is usually mounted in the vicinity of the deck opening to aid in the support of the mast and the collar normally includes some type of flange angularly disposed relative to the deck surface to provide for the attachment of rigging via holes in the flange. The collar may also include an upstanding rim disposed in spaced parallel relation with the mast to provide for the sealing and support of the mast while allowing movement of the mast within the collar. Water around the mast can leak through the deck opening between the collar rim and the mast into the areas below the deck. Therefore, the areas below the deck must be regularly inspected for water leakage and any detected water promptly removed to avoid water damage and corrosion. Consequently, keel stepped masts are associated with increased maintenance and inconvenience, as well as potential costs for water damage repair, and such disadvantages detract from the benefits of increased strength obtained with keel stepped masts.
One prior art method of sealing and structurally supporting the keel stepped masts has been to place wedges between the mast and the rim on the collar to support the mast. The remaining space between the mast and the collar is filled with caulking compound and a canvas or rubber boot is placed over the mast and the rim on the collar to seal the opening. Large hose type clamps are then used to secure the boot to the collar rim and the mast. Since the mast is not normally a round shape, hose type clamps cannot distribute an even pressure around the entire circumference of the boot and therefore they do not seal correctly and furthermore, wedges put uneven stresses on the mast by supporting the mast at small localized areas. The prior art caulking compounds can become thinner when the temperature rises which can cause the compound to drip down into the cabin area and create a mess. Under the flexing movement of the mast, the bond of the caulking compound, which relies on adhesion, breaks down and allows the water on the deck to leak into the cabin area. This flexing movement of the mast will also cause the wedges to be distorted and/or moved.
Other prior art methods of sealing and supporting the keel stepped masts has been to force some type of resilient ring between the collar and the mast and then attempt to hold this ring in position by some type of clamping system. The problems associated with these designs include the high cost of manufacturing and installing the various clamping systems, the use of wedges for supporting the mast, the nonuniformity of the masts and deck openings and the tendency for the resilient ring to work its way out of position therefore eliminating the seal and allowing the system to leak or to become structurally unsound.
Accordingly, what is needed is a simple and inexpensive method of sealing and structurally supporting a keel stepped mast between the mast and the deck of the sailboat. The method should be inexpensive and simple to use, while at the same time allowing easy disassembly for permitting the mast to be removed from the sailboat at the end of the season or for the inspection of the mast and/or deck joint.